(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in a capo. I call the improved form a variable chord-forming capo. I use it for tuning or for changing the pitch of selected strings of stringed musical instruments, such as guitars, more particularly Spanish guitars, banjos, and mandolins. These musical instruments are characterized by transversely oriented frets traversed by spaced strings that are, more or less, parallel between successive frets, though the strings may tend to converge at a point off the neck of the instrument. The strings of the guitar extend slightly above the frets, and the frets assist the player in locating the proper place for his fingers for establishing a certain musical note which he does when he presses his finger, or fingers, on strings against selected frets. The fret is a means for changing the effective length of strings; the longer the string, the lower the pitch of a note; the shorter the effective length of a string, the higher the pitch of a note.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Prior art capos were devices attached to fretted musical instruments for the purpose of raising the pitch of all the strings at once. All of the strings were clamped at once; consequently, the pitch of all were raised at once. The prior art capos did not have the capability of clamping some strings and not the others. One consequence of this was that it would be useless, so far as musical accomplishments are concerned, to use two or more prior art capos simultaneously on a single musical instrument.
In the prior art capos there are several single-string clamping devices for use on the shorter fifth string of a five string banjo.
Many of the prior art capos were unable to function properly on both flat and curved fret boards.
Prior art tuning devices were attached to fretted stringed instruments for the purpose of raising the pitch of either one string at a time at a particular fret (U.S. Pat. No. 3,230,816 to Jira) or groups of strings at a particular fret (U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,427 to Valentino) to aid in the tuning of strings by freeing the player's chording hand.
The Jira tuning device was designed to adjust to changes in fret board width but would allow only one string to be clamped at a time.
The Valentino tuning device is designed to clamp only certain groups of strings and is used in cooperation with an attached pitch pipe. This allows more than one string to be tuned for the group of strings clamped. This tuning device has no adjustment for variations in fret board width and variations in string separation.
None of the prior art capos or tuning devices are equipped with a side-support member that allows the clamping of any one or two strings at any accessible fret.
None of the prior art capos or tuning devices allow any selected combination of strings to be clamped at any accessible fret.
The variable chord-forming capo of the present invention overcomes the aforementioned limitations and disabilities.